diff --git a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
index 44068a16e..407d29cdc 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
@@ -67,10 +67,8 @@ type CoreAPI struct {
 
 	pubSub *pubsub.PubSub
 
-	// TODO: this can be generalized to all functions when we implement some
-	// api based security mechanism
-	isPublishAllowed func() error
-	isOnline         func(allowOffline bool) error
+	checkPublishAllowed func() error
+	checkOnline         func(allowOffline bool) error
 
 	// ONLY for re-applying options in WithOptions, DO NOT USE ANYWHERE ELSE
 	nd         *core.IpfsNode
@@ -178,14 +176,14 @@ func (api *CoreAPI) WithOptions(opts ...options.ApiOption) (coreiface.CoreAPI, e
 		parentOpts: settings,
 	}
 
-	subApi.isOnline = func(allowOffline bool) error {
+	subApi.checkOnline = func(allowOffline bool) error {
 		if !n.OnlineMode() && !allowOffline {
 			return coreiface.ErrOffline
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	subApi.isPublishAllowed = func() error {
+	subApi.checkPublishAllowed = func() error {
 		if n.Mounts.Ipns != nil && n.Mounts.Ipns.IsActive() {
 			return errors.New("cannot manually publish while IPNS is mounted")
 		}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/dht.go b/core/coreapi/dht.go
index 4e91169de..4b0616566 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/dht.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/dht.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import (
 type DhtAPI CoreAPI
 
 func (api *DhtAPI) FindPeer(ctx context.Context, p peer.ID) (pstore.PeerInfo, error) {
-	err := api.isOnline(false)
+	err := api.checkOnline(false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return pstore.PeerInfo{}, err
 	}
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func (api *DhtAPI) FindProviders(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path, opts ...
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = api.isOnline(false)
+	err = api.checkOnline(false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (api *DhtAPI) Provide(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, opts ...cao
 		return err
 	}
 
-	err = api.isOnline(false)
+	err = api.checkOnline(false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/name.go b/core/coreapi/name.go
index d9e95925e..e986567b5 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/name.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/name.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (e *ipnsEntry) Value() coreiface.Path {
 
 // Publish announces new IPNS name and returns the new IPNS entry.
 func (api *NameAPI) Publish(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path, opts ...caopts.NamePublishOption) (coreiface.IpnsEntry, error) {
-	if err := api.isPublishAllowed(); err != nil {
+	if err := api.checkPublishAllowed(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func (api *NameAPI) Publish(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path, opts ...caopt
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = api.isOnline(options.AllowOffline)
+	err = api.checkOnline(options.AllowOffline)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (api *NameAPI) Search(ctx context.Context, name string, opts ...caopts.Name
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	err = api.isOnline(true)
+	err = api.checkOnline(true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/pubsub.go b/core/coreapi/pubsub.go
index d02638300..6ec123a98 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/pubsub.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/pubsub.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func (api *PubSubAPI) checkNode() (routing.IpfsRouting, error) {
 		return nil, errors.New("experimental pubsub feature not enabled. Run daemon with --enable-pubsub-experiment to use.")
 	}
 
-	err := api.isOnline(false)
+	err := api.checkOnline(false)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}